iridescent
by Rosey-Chan
Summary: ir·i·des·cent - showing luminous colors that seem to change when seen from different angles. Just like life - things change when you view them from different angles - especially when it comes to what is and isn't the truth.
1. vertigo

**author's note:** _i honestly haven't written fanfiction in such a long time - but I just got this inspiration for a bleach fanfic. like, what if it were a different universe but similar to the original. a twist on the main events and a look into the minds of who these people are. what goes on behind closed doors. anyway! I hope you like the first chapter!_

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vertigo

(n). a sensation of whirling and loss of balance, associated particularly with looking down from a great height; giddiness

" and then there are times when the moon is silent and the wolves are howling," - george carlin

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Sometimes, the magic in life seemed to swelter down to hues of grey. The clouds twisted and turned, lackluster without anything to keep them vibrant and whimsical - and on those days, it was like the world was on a standstill despite how people kept moving even within the absence of color and meaning. They walked without purpose and without life, content in the essence of hopelessness and despair. But, magic was eternal, dancing under smog and keeping close to the shadows until it could work up to a spark to shower the world in such a myriad of colors that the lifeless could find hope again. Until then, everything would seem dark and bleak and civilisation would continue to take aimless steps. Or was it all just a simple trick of the mind? Was it the darkness in the hearts of man that took to shadowing over so many souls? Or was something else at work?

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Sunlight creeped through the cracks of her curtains, illuminating her face and revealing the particles of dust that flew in a soft waves around her and the room. They danced above her face - to the crisp melody of birds and simple talk of the people that passed by on the street, each footstep loud and clear in her mind as it stirred her from the grips of sleep. A sleep that held expansive lands and the clashing of swords, adventure and the hope of something absolutely wonderful. But, sleep couldn't last forever and neither could dreams when one had reality to face. She opened her eyes slowly, brown irises and shrinking pupils as they adjusted to the light. She stayed still, turning her head to the side, strands of ginger falling against her cheek.

Her eyes darted around the room, eyeing the time on the clock - six thirty, before eyeing the door that connected her room and the bathroom. Her heart constricted when she came upon a closed door that peeked out from beyond the contents of her room and she quickly looked away.

Picking herself up, Orihime stared down at her lap, bed sheets covering her legs and ran a hand through her hair. She unwound herself from the confines of her sheets and threw her legs over the sit of her bed and let her feet touch the floor as she slumped forward to stare at her toes. It was silent except for the music of nature just outside her window, she didn't speak - basking in the silence as she closed her eyes. All of a sudden, she pushed herself up to her feet and stretched her body backwards - back arching. "Hnnngh." she groaned, sighing as she felt her limbs stretch with her ministrations. After, she immediately lets her body relax and heads into the toilet room for a quick morning pee break before heading into the main bathroom.

Her reflection stares back at her after she slips on her bathroom slippers, leaning against the sink as she holds onto it. Her eyes are blank, tired - puffy. Her hair hangs limping around her face, framing it - with messy bangs without the lack of her treasured clips. She stared down at her chest - unfit for someone just fifteen. They should be smaller, she should look younger. Instead, she resembled a woman - innocence stolen from a young age. She shook her head and stared down into the sink. Her world was different than your average person, an overactive mind that held thoughts darker than what her friends assumed were in her head. She was filthy, disgusting. A liar and imposter in a world of heros and the gifted. Secrets are cleverly disguised lies that resemble the truth and the truth is always grey.

What use were these thoughts anyway, she could only live as who she was born as - even if her own self was clouded in a disgusting shade of grey. Still, she managed to smile into the mirror, a ritual she used to get ready for the day in the case that she runs into someone she knows. "Ah. Today is going to be a wonderful day! The sun is shining and the birds are so beautiful. It's kind of like...even if aliens took over the planet, it'd still be wonderful." Sometimes, she didn't even know the nonsense that came out of her mouth. How did she come up with this? But it did get her into the mindset she needed just to survive today. To drown out all those dark thoughts that followed her upbringing, only to intensify after Sora's death just three years prior.

After she mentally put her mask on, she began her skincare routine - one of the only things she looked forward to everyday. She followed every step, making sure to cleanse herself and moisturize her face, of course adding sunscreen for the day. She stared at her glowy skin, proud of her work. Her hair is still pinned up in a high pony-tail, keeping her hair out of her face she takes out her makeup products. Rarely did she go all out, only opting for concealer, mascara, eyeliner and a natural blush by lightly pinching her cheeks. She drove the mascara down, to make her eyes look more rounded - kinder. That was who she was meant to be and how she was presenting herself to the world. She barely recognized herself after applying her contacts to bestow a dusty grey to her eyes. She didn't need them for sight, but rather to further the lie she has carefully crafted following the death of her brother. She wanted to reinvent herself, to hide the pain behind brown eyes and perhaps...a certain someone would notice her, despite the similarity of their hair.

She let down her pony-tail, taking her brush and fixing the mess and the frizz. Leaving her bathroom and slippers behind, she heads back into her room to grab the hair clips from her side table. She places them in her hair, leaving her bangs slightly scattered across her forehead.

Still in her pajamas, she heads towards her closet - each item secondhand and thrifted - she couldn't afford anything else. The money she got sent every month was only enough for necessities and no extra pleasures unless she really pinched pennies to save up for the occasional bakery item. Pulling out a long patterned skirt and simple top, she begin to get dressed.

When finished, she headed into the kitchen to cook something simple. Her ingredients were cheap, odd and she simply had to make due with what she had - even if that meant creating awkward concoctions. Some actually tasted good or were her taste buds just getting used to such a small palette. Bread, butter, cheese and red bean paste was her meal for today. She had things to do such as shopping for more groceries and putting money away to save up.

Orihime sat in silence, the comfort of her own kitchen only to further her loneliness after her meal was complete. There was no music, no life - just a still oasis of grey and blank feelings inside her stomach. She felt as if she were sinking the longer she stood there, her body was heavy and her eyes began to sting. But she blinked herself into reality and took a breath that she desperately needed to collect herself. She pushed off of the counter and headed into the main room, situating herself infront of her brother's altar and begins to pray. She told him the good things, leaving out the bad - she didn't want to worry him in the afterlife, after all - he'd finally just gotten to rest and she can still remember the events from nearly a week ago, up to the point where she was drugged. She had to pretend the forget, less she wanted to raise suspicions and alarms to just how special she was - the secrets she kept from her friends.

She told him about her dream of the other world, with fighting and adventure - happiness. Happiness that was just out of her grasp.

Breathing in the incense that she kept burning, she stands up and moves to head to the door where she kept her purse already packed with things she would need - namely her wallet. Before going back into her room to grab her phone.

Now, she was ready for her -

The moment Orihime stepped outside, she became dizzy - nearly falling apart right then and there. Something was wrong, something in her gut, but she pushed on. Unaware of eyes watching her from the shadows of the day. Her intuition told her to be careful, but she couldn't survive on just bread and jam for the rest of the week - her supplies were dwindling. Perhaps it was a fluke, despite how her mind screamed at her to run back inside and lock the doors.

She pushed herself to go forward, steps echoing against the pavement, loud and clear. It was quiet, even the birds were still. There was no one else around except for her, except for her thoughts and that was never a good place to be. Her heart was shuttering, beating at her ribcage for a release - almost as if she herself were in the process of dying. Fear and anxiety was such a strange sensation, what with the trembling and sweating of her palms. She was being watched, someone was there and they were waiting for the opportune moment to strike.

The minute she heard the brake of a car two streets ahead, she turned on her heel and ran back to the comfort of her home. She fumbled with her keys - shaking, paranoia racking her brain. When the door was open, she pushed herself inside and locked it behind her. She slumped against the door to still her beating heart. Closing her eyes in the process as she slid down and onto her bum.

She knew the moment she got involved with this world, the world that lay secret within this town, that her life would never be the same. It'd be another restless night.


	2. petrichor

**author's note:** _ah! i'm so glad you liked the last chapter! i'm so excited, haha. i'm glad about this - tbh. there's a lot I want to cover so this will be a long fic. sorry it took so long for me to update. I dont know what I want to do yet with it but please read and review! haha_

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petrichor

(n.) the pleasant, earthy smell after rain

"Let her dream on," — Alfred Noyes, from The Collected Poems; "The Shadow," c. 1921

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She awoke to an aching pain in the base of her neck that stretched down the extent of her spine, her vision was blurred but she could make out the faint patterns of her skirt and she blinked. The events of the day past came rushing back to her in waves and she pushed herself up off the floor, stumbling in the process. It would seem as if she'd fell asleep right at her door, too terrified to even move from the spot, which meant she hadn't eaten last night either. She doesn't even remember falling asleep, but she opts to not think of it in order to keep her own sanity stable. Her stomach constricts, a tell-tale sign that she was hungry, but today was Monday which meant she had to get ready for school. She couldn't afford to be late, especially not even knowing what time it was at the moment. It hadn't even occurred to her that she could check the time of her phone, she'd already entered her room when it crossed her mind. By that time, it'd already been too late and she took note of the time on her alarm clock which read - 7:34am. Immediately her blood went cold and she cursed under the confines of her breath.

God, she was going to be late.

Her body began to move on it's own accord, clothes thrown haphazardly around her room as she jammed her feet into her slippers, not bothering to close the door to the bathroom behind her as she started the shower. It was quick, she didn't even have time for a soak in the tub, which is something she craved due to the pain in her back. She scrubs her skin raw in her hurry, blood rushing up to give her pale skin a red and lively hue. The water was cold, but she didn't have the luxury of a hot shower at this time of day.

The water is off and she's out of the shower in about ten minutes, her hair is wet and still soapy from the shampoo but she doesn't care about that now. Her mind is frankly in a daze and she wraps a towel around her body and nearly slips trying to get out of the tiled bathroom. Grasping onto the doorframe, she kicks off her slippers and stumbles into her room. The floor is cold under her feet and she opens her closet and grabs the hanger with her uniform on it, throws it on the bed and goes into her drawer for her undergarments. A quick look at the clock shows that twenty minutes have passed even though she assumed she had been in the shower for only ten. Strange how time seems to flow differently when you're in the shower.

Dropping the towel, she steps into her cotton panties and feels her body shaking as time continues to tick. She pulls them up and then clasps her bra before she pulls it over her head and over her chest. She had to order them custom, breasts like hers were rare in Japan - it was a curse, really. The straps were twisted by the time she situated herself, taking the time to fix them only chipped off more of the time she had - but she wouldn't be able to deal with the uncomfort. Next was her skirt, unzipping it and pulling it up, struggling at her hips. She wiggled, eying the clock again. 8:02. She needed to hurry. She gasps out as she gets it over her butt and zips it at her waist and buttons it. Next her shirt, which she buttons as fast as she can and pushes it down into her skirt after sucking her stomach in. She plops down on her bed and jams her feet into her socks and pulls them up, not bothering to fix them since they were already on. Grabbing the brush from the bathroom, she brushes out her wet hair and puts her clips back into her hair before stepping out, picking up her jacket and heading back out into the main room.

The kitchen was the same as she'd left it - her rice cooker should still be filled with rice from the day before. Taking out an empty bento box from cabinet, she places it on the counter and opens the rice cooker. She fills it with rice and pats it down, closing the rice cooker and heading to her fridge to pulls out prepackaged items that she only used for bentos. She takes out some cold vegetables and cooked meats before packing them in and using red bean paste as a sauce, adding in some furikake and closing the bento. She takes a furoshiki and wraps it. Carrying it into the living room, she locates her bag off to the side puts it inside as well as the purse she had left by her door.

She shrugs her jacket on and picks up her bag. "Goodbye, Sora." she calls to the shrine she had set up, taking out her phone to take the time. 8:17. She was definitely going to be late. Her shoes don't take long to put on and after grabbing her keys? Well, Orihime was out of the door, slamming it shut behind her.

The sun was shining, cars riding down the road in order to head to work and here she was, running across town just to get to school on time, even if that wasn't possible at the moment. Her legs were burning, chest aching. How was she going to get all the way across town like this? She hadn't gotten very far and found herself hunched over on the sidewalk only fifteen minutes later. Her stamina needed work and she would end up missing homeroom. On foot it took so long just to get across town, if she had woken up earlier she could've road the bus to get closer, but she hadn't been able to do that.

And that's when her body seemed to be on edge, the smell of rain assaulting her senses for the first time since she stepped outside. She straightened up, eyes searching the area as she caught her breath. She hadn't realized it had rained, until just now. The streets were moist, cars splashing in the puddles on the edge of the road. She could even hear the dripping of rain droplets. It was almost the same feeling of being followed the day before. She tried to push the feeling off and continued walking, making sure she was aware of her surroundings.

This world held many secrets, eyes were everywhere and she cursed herself sometimes for getting involved - but it was better than where she had been before. Better than the desperation, pain, and confusion that followed her. If she couldn't handle this - she'd be forced to come clean about all the lies she had told to her friends that were only trying to do what they thought was best. But she was glad she had her memories, so that she would be able to protect herself if the opportunity came into fruition. Her thoughts were running rampant in her head, trying to figure out why she was feeling so on edge and-

She turned her head at the sound of tires against the pavement, a nice car pulled up beside her, slowing down so that it could match her pace. It was a nice car, nicer than anything she'd ever seen up until this point and it raised certain alarm bells. As the window rolled down, she got a look into the car despite her initial alarms. Inside was a silver-haired man at the wheel with an unnerving close-eyed smile, beside him, in the passenger seat was a brunette with glasses - they both seemed relatively harmless but she knew better than to think that such innocent looks could be harmless.

"Are you headed to school?" His voice was baritone, friendly and calm. There was something about it that sent shivers up her spine and also made her heart flutter. One thing was for certain - she didn't trust him. How could she? But she finds herself nodding to answer his question. "Do you need a ride? We're heading past there anyway and we don't want you to be late." The brunette's smile was so unnerving as he spoke but she weighed her options. Be late to school or ride with these strangers?

Against her better judgement, almost as if she wasn't in control over her own voice, she nods. "A-Ah, yes! Thank you!" She still had a reputation to maintain, even in front of strangers. "I woke up late because aliens were taking over the planet in my dream! It was such a good dream too, full of so much action! Like boom and pow! You're so nice mister!" A ditsy airhead. That's who she presented herself as, it was easier to keep secrets this way, no one would suspect her as being capable to defend herself.

With shaky hands, she opens the backdoor and climbs in with her bag. The seats are comfortable and it smells like honey and spice, strange. She closes the door after she got in. "I see. So you're a Karakura High student?" the brunette asks, she still doesn't know his name but she doesn't know if she wants to either.

"Mmhm! I'm a first year!" She responds, her heart beating fast within her chest once the car starts moving. Dread fills her stomach, but she pushes it down. "Do you have kids that go there? Ooo! Maybe you're both new teachers?" She doesn't disclose her name either, not right now. Not when she doesn't know if she's actually going to be taken to school. She stares out of the window and makes sure to watch the street signs.

There is silence before the passenger speaks again, "Really? Mm. That's nice." he seems to mull over this fact as the silver haired one's smile widens. She can see in the rearview mirror. "We're not, just visitors passing through." It didn't sit well with her. "We're from Seireitei." That was the neighboring city, just a few miles out and she feels her blood run cold. Those who were from there - from her experience, was the reason she had to get drugged weeks ago. But why were those from the Seireitei here? Were they affiliated with- she shook her head. This wasn't the time to be thinking of such things.

"Oh? I've never been! I've heard it's pretty though!" she smiled, her heart beating. She checked the time. 8:33. "I've been in Karakura my whoooole life!" She was suspicious, but she couldn't give away what she knew and what she was. She even had to hide it from her friends.

They didn't seem to say anything after that and they pulled up to the school just as it turned into 8:34. "Well. It would seem as if we have arrived. We hope that you have a good day at school." At his words, she laughed and nodded, opening the door. She steps out, nervous still.

"Thank you so much Mister…?" It was the more polite thing to do, afterall - she had a reputation to maintain.

She watches him smile at her from his seat, "Aizen. Sousuke Aizen." the name invoked some sort of fear in her stomach and she nods, smiling.

"Well it was nice to meet you!" She says. "Have a good day as well, bye!" The grin on her face was infectious and she turned, wanting nothing more than to get away from the two.

"Goodbye, Orihime Inoue." Was the last thing she heard as they drove away. She immediately turned around with wide eyes, but they were nowhere to be seen. How had they known her name? She hadn't mentioned it and her blood ran cold as her hands trembled. What did this mean for her?


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